Posts Tagged ‘reality’

Oh those cuts…those are baaaaad cuts says Morning Joe

Posted: January 24, 2011 by datechguy in internet/free speech, media
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For many weeks we have seen democrats, the media, and the Morning Joe crew go after republicans saying “What will they actually cut?”

Then republicans started naming cuts and suddenly came the line today on Morning Joe. “They are cutting the things that will hurt us in the long run.”

Even Funnier when talking about Colin Powell, who no matter how much the media wants to pretend the president is on a roll, recognizes that The One™ is not riding high and wants to again be invited to big paying republican speaking gigs, Charles Blow in casual conversation mentioned how Joe Scarborough is not really considered a republican and naming David Frum as another example. Joe insisted that he is still a member of the club and that “regular” republicans are still who they are. He pointed to John McCain’s primary win (neglecting the fact that the conservative vote was split among several candidates) and Blow answered that he had gone right Crazy and had picked “Crazy”.

Not a word, not a peep, wasn’t called on it.

Bill Bennett pegged it weeks ago. Joe you’re a nice guy and all but it is what it is. You are the most conservative host on MSNBC hand down, but that is like being the most chaste lady at the Chicken ranch.

Are you are republican? Sure, but republicans are a conservative party and you are becoming less and less conservative. The idea of crying “cut waste” just makes you sound silly.

For a list of what republicans believe click Barbara’s post here.

As I said a while back sooner or later you have to join the side you’re on.

The “Why” of the left’s call for “civility”

Posted: January 21, 2011 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Tim Blair and Don Surber already talked about this now Victor Davis Hanson explains the why when it comes to the left’s “call for civility”

In other words, the calls for a general toning down of rhetoric translate far more into a toning down of both an effective media opposition and a rising political obstruction to the Obama agenda. “Can’t we all get along?” in essence means, “Can’t we all just keep quiet and keep going on with the big-government, agreed-on politics of the last fifty years?”

And why it will fail:

bipartisan friendly dialogue cannot and will not be adhered to by those now calling for its implementation, since divisive language often achieves what an unpersuasive ideology cannot.

And the end result?

I predict that 18 months from now the president himself will still be calling for a new civility in the manner of his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention — and will once again adopt the sorts of over-the-top metaphors, similes, allusions, and rough-stuff politics that got him elected senator in 2004 and president in 2008, and pushed his health-care legislation through in 2009. If anything, the language of division will be shriller even than in 2010, as the administration grasps that loaded language, coupled with calls for an end to rancor, must now do what a record of unpopular governance cannot.

As I’ve already said today predictions are tough even for a classical historian like Hanson, but go read it all and decide for yourself.

Flash Poll weighed in favor of Democrats 3/2 favors Obama!

Posted: January 20, 2011 by datechguy in internet/free speech, media, opinion/news
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Morning Joe et/al is breathlessly reporting that the president’s number are up, that a slight majority favor keeping Obamacare and things are turning around for the pres.

The media is all over this but if you look at the actual report there is a set of numbers not getting play:

Q15 Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as (ROTATE:) a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or something else? (IF “DEMOCRAT” OR “REPUBLICAN,” ASK:) Would you call yourself a strong (Democrat/Republican) or not a very strong (Democrat/Republican)? (IF “NOT SURE,” CODE AS “NOT VERY STRONG DEMOCRAT/REPUBLICAN.”) (IF “INDEPENDENT,” ASK:) Do you think of yourself as closer to the Republican Party, closer to the Democratic Party, or do you think of yourself as strictly independent? (IF “NOT SURE,” CODE AS “STRICTLY INDEPENDENT.”)
Strong Democrat ………………………….20
Not very strong Democrat ……………..11
Independent/lean Democrat …………..10
Strictly Independent………………………18
Independent/lean Republican …………11
Not very strong Republican ……………9
Strong Republican ………………………..12
Other (VOL) …………………………………7
Not sure …………………………………….2

So let’s get this straight, this poll of Registered (vs likely) voters that is showing the president’s numbers improving samples 31% democrats (or 41% counting learners) and 21% Republicans (32% counting learners). And you are judging national opinion on this? You are calling this news?

Think of it this way. If you had a poll on the popularity of the Red Sox vs the Yankees and asked 3 Guys from Boston for every 2 guys from New York City how would the Red Sox do?

This is what you call spin. The media manufacturing a story to create a bounce that doesn’t actually exist.

If people fall for this it is their own fault.

Hey lets have national heathcare here too!

Posted: January 19, 2011 by datechguy in opinion/news
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This story from London was bad enough:

Officials from the South London NHS Trust have apologised to the family of Derek Sauter, who later died in hospital of pneumonia.

The 60-year-old did not receive a “proper and professional standard of care” when he was admitted with a chest infection in June 2008.

A formal investigation is being conducted into his death, after it was found his oxygen levels went unchecked for 11 hours and were 35% lower than recommended.

But this in comments was particularly interesting:

The problem was, when I noted what they did wrong, my boss quickly got with me to tell me that the hospitals do not like change on their reports. Basically, I found that the hospitals would break the contract with my employer if I gave them bad scores…and get another third party to cover their ass. Basically my job was fake, and I had to give out fake scores so I quit. The things I saw were unimaginable. How educated doctors and nurses could act that way is unbelievable.

This is just a blog comment and one would need to investigate to find how reliable this is, but consider. If a company worried about its bottom line is willing to play with data (and I’m sure our friends on the left would certainly concede that possibility) imagine how much more an inspector for a government agency empowered to direct millions of dollars of taxpayer funds or to affect the political future of someone who votes on said appropriations?

Repeat that nationwide and you get the picture.

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